Hub-cap lock



W. M. MILLER HUB-CAP LOCK Filed Aug. l0, 1960 FIGB FIC-3.5

INVENTOR WALTER M. MILLER ATTORNEY United States Patent mee PatentedAug. l, 1961 2,994,217 HUB-CAP LOCK Walter M. Miller, 8 Taylor Ave.,Singac, NJ. Filed Aug. 10, 1960, Ser. No. 48,745 l Claim. (Cl. 70-169)My invention relates generally to hub-cap locks, and specically to ahub-cap lock which includes an attachment hook and a key for `adjustableengagement with the wheel of a motor vehicle.

It is vamong the objects of my invention to provide a hub-cap lock whichcan easily secure a hub-cap to a wheel by the use of Va key of chosenconfiguration.

It is another object of my invention to provide a hubcap lock which mayhave a keyway of many different designs to receive many `correspondinglydesigned keys.

It is another object of my invention to provide a hubcap lock which isresistant to opening except upon the `application of the appropriatekey.

It is yet another object of my invention to provide a hub-cap llock thatsecurely attaches a hub-cap to the wheel of a motor vehicle in order toprevent its loss or removal by unauthorizied persons.

Among the further objects andadvantages of my hubcap lock is to providesuch an item which is inexpensive, easy to install, easy to operate, anddurable.

These objects and advantages las well as other objects and advantagesmay be achieved by the device shown by way of illustration of theinvention in the drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the lock-bolt with a keyway in itshead;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the hub-cap lock housing;

4FIGURE 3 -is a side view of a spring;

lFIGURE 4 is a perspective view of a hub-cap lock, sleeve and latch;

FIGURE 5 is a `cross-sectional view of a motor vehicle Wheel showing thehub-cap lock in place; and

FIGURE 6 is `a cross-sectional view of the hub-cap lock.

Hub-caps are in gener-al use on motor vehicle wheels to give them `anaesthetically pleasing appearance. Since they are not generally lockedin place, but only frictionally engaged by spring fingers or the like,they are easily subject to loss or theft. The present invention providesa simple means whereby va lock may be passed through or attached in anaperture in `a hub-cap or welded to it. A key inserted in the lock -willbring an adjustable hook or latch into engagement with a slot in themotor vehicle wheel, and secure the hub-cap against loss. Since the keymay be of many and varied designs, the casual thief cannot readilyremove the hub-cap unless he is provided with the speciiically requiredkey, and then only at the risk of detection because some time isconsumed in manipulating the key to disengage the latch or hook.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, my auto hubcap has a housing1.1 which is generally tubular. At one end of the housing 11, there is agenerally radial enlargement or llange 12. The housing 11 may be passedthrough a hole in a hub-cap 13 or the -ange 12 may be soldered or weldedto the hub-cap 13 or attached in any suitable manner with the tubularpassage in the housing in registration with the hole in the hub-cap toadmit a key.

A cover plate 14 is pivotally attached to the ilange 12, so that it maybe pivoted to cover the opening in the tubular housing 11. Of course, ifthe flange 12 is attached to the inside of the hub-cap, the cover 14 ispivotally secured to the other face of the hub-cap 13.

A spring 15 is positioned in the housing 11. 'Ihe housing 11 is providedwith a `constriction 16 to retain the spring l5 in the housing andprevent it 'from passing through it. The constriction 16 may be formedby deforming the end of the housing 11 inwardly to define an openingwhose diameter is less than that of the spring '15. A threaded bolt 17is positioned in the housing 11, surrounded by the spring 15. The bolt17 has a head I8 whose diameter is greater than the spring 15. The outerface of the head 18 is provided with a keyway or key-slot 19. The innerside or face of the head 1-8 is engaged by the spring 15. 'Ihe threadedportion 20 of the bolt extends through the constriction 16 and beyondthe inner end of the housing 11.

The housing 11 is surrounded by la slidable sleeve 21 which is, like thehousing 111, generally tubular in shape. One end of the sleeve 21 may beprovided with an outwardly diverging ared portion 22. The other end ofthe :sleeve 21 is provided with ,a threaded 'aperture 23 in an inwardlyextending integral portion, or in a threaded plug '24 attached thereto.The threaded aperture 23 is dimensioned to receive the threaded end 20,of the bolt in threaded engagement. The sleeve 21 is provided with ahook or latch 2S. This hook or latch 25 is to engage ian aperture in awheel 26, and to hook or latch with it.

It will be seen that upon the presentation and turning of a key in thekey-way 19, the head of the bolt 18 will bear on the spring 15 and tendto overcome it by reason of its engagement with the constriction 16. Itwill also draw the sleeve 21 and consequently bring the hook 25 intotight engagement with the aperture in the wheel 26, and strongly engagethe hub-cap 13 in place on the wheel 25. Disengagement of the hub-cap byaccidental means becomes impossible, and theft of the hub-cap becomesditlicult unless the thief has a matching key and may proceed withoutbeing disturbed, to manipulate it.

The foregoing description is merely intended to illustrate an embodimentof the invention. The component parts have been shown and described.They each may have substitutes which may per-form a substantiallysimilar function; such substitutes may be known as proper substitutesfor the said components and may have actually been known or inventedbefore the present invention; these substitutes are contemplated asbeing within the scope of the appended claims, although they are notspecically catalogued herein.

What is claimed:

A hub-cap lock comprising a generally tubular housing, a generallyradial enlargement at one end of the housing adapted to be attached to ahub-cap, a cover pivotally attached to the enlargement and movable tocover the one end of the housing, a constriction at the other end of thehousing defining a seat for a spring, a threaded bolt slidablypositioned in the housing and the threaded portion extending outside thehousing, a head on the bolt larger than the constriction, a springlarger than the constriction carried by the bolt and engaged at one endwith the rear portion of the head of the bolt and at the other end withthe constriction, a key slot in the front portion of the head of thebolt, a sleeve slidably positioned around the housing, an internallythreaded end portion of the sleeve in threaded engagement with the bolt,a hooked elongated portion on the sleeve engagable with an aperture in awheel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,040,963 Strong et al. Oct. 8, 1912 1,639,661 Newcomb Aug. 23, 19272,594,407 Earnest Apr. 29, 1952 2,807,157 McLin Sept. 24, 1957

